In this section there are 2,124 articles that cover essential ESL topics such as how to teach grammar, use realia, and teach young learners. There are also a lot of lesson ideas and fun activities included in the articles. This ESL article, for example, is about teaching grammar and describes five great activities. It has been given five stars by other busy teachers so it obviously has useful content. Check it out for yourself or take a look at other articles that relate better to your questions or teaching situation.
There are a lot of dos and don’ts and tips and tricks that many teachers learn through teaching.
Our ESL Essentials section will help you master the basics of teaching English and will help you start teaching like a 'pro'. Every ESL Essentials article provides clear, to-the-point instructions that can be used with the students right away.
At the moment we have 2,124 ESL Essentials.
Sometimes that is the best way to learn but the experiences of others can also help you develop your teaching skills without having to make the same mistakes. If you have a great story or activity, feel free to submit your own article so that you can share your knowledge with others. We would love to hear from you!
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ESL Articles
View our latest knowledgebase articles that will help you become a better English teacher. Learn from
professional teachers and put a bit of your own creativity into it!
On October 1, 1890, the U.S. Congress created the Weather Bureau. In 1970, its name was changed to the National Weather Service.
In honor of the organization that provides so much essential infor ...
We all love to eat and some of use love to cook. Learning to cook in English can be great fun but can your students read and follow recipes? It’s not as easy as you think.
There are lots of ...
When starting out, many teachers might find themselves intimidated by these words. Business English undoubtedly sounds very professional, and appears to require a whole range of different skills a ...
English language students discover a whole new world through newspapers, new words, new phrases, new ideas and even new faces! They may have read the news in their own language but reading it in E ...
Most would agree that the best thing about the fall is its colors: deep russets, bright yellows and golden bronze browns. Yet, all too soon fall gives way to winter and all of those colors are gon ...
“Paper or plastic?” is the question supermarket shoppers have been asked for years, and though there is still much debate on which is the most environmentally friendly choice, ESL teac ...
Bringing a guest speaker into your class is an opportunity you should seek out. Your students will be exposed to a different style of spoken English, and they might also learn content that will be ...
It has been said that culture is like an iceberg, that only ten percent of it is visible and the other ninety percent is hidden below the surface. For this reason, ESL teachers must make intention ...
Part of teaching is assessment. Colleges offer entire courses on ways to assess students of English. It is easy, however, for teachers to get stuck in a rut of assessment.
If you are looking for ...
Most of us hate the junk mail that clutters up our mailboxes – all of those pamphlets, brochures and flyers for companies and services we are not interested in. But wait! Don’t throw t ...
Oliver Twist couldn’t have said it better when he sang, “Food, glorious food!” in the musical “Oliver“! To really be appreciated, food has to be tasted, smelled, and ...
The longer you have been teaching, the thicker your files are getting, but it is never too soon or too late to add to your pool of resources.
You may already be familiar with the following websit ...
April is national poetry month, but you do not have to wait until those rainy days next spring to do fun poetry activities with your students. Try one or all of the following activities with your ...
We have all heard the phrase, “It’s just business,” and business is often one of the biggest reasons international students come to the United States to learn English.
Even if y ...
Long gone are the days in which an ESL classroom had to be absolutely still, with all students sitting quietly at their desks. Kids are noisy by nature, and they love to make noise…especial ...
People are fascinated by extremes, and there is no better place to see the extreme behavior of humans than the Guinness Book of World Records.
Within its pages are short, easily understood articl ...
It is not uncommon for ESL teachers to plan activities for Mother’s Day or Father’s Day, but what about dear, old Grandpa and Grandma? Grandparents have a very special place in our hea ...
Do your students think the dictionary is the end all be all when it comes to language resources? Have you seen students that are linguistically paralyzed if you say no dictionaries allowed?
Give ...
Do you ever feel like your students have gotten used to your teaching and language style? Do you want to make sure their language skills will be successful outside your classroom? Why not take adv ...
Have you ever seen your students sitting in front of a blank notebook with a still pencil in their stiff hands? Nothing on the page and only a blank look on their faces? For some students, giving ...
When you have to teach clothes vocabulary, do you always use flashcards and illustrations? Why not give your students the real deal? Clothing items supply plenty of opportunities for kinesthetic a ...
Having your class write a newspaper through combined effort is a great way for them to practice their language learning and work with a unit theme you are already teaching. Besides, since you are ...
In the ESL classroom, do you consider the cell phone your friend or foe? Yes, it’s a huge distraction for teens and adults, and the use of cell phones in the ESL classroom should be managed ...
Are you looking for some stellar activities you can do with your ESL class while you teach about space?
These activities will stimulate imaginations and get the creativity flowing as your student ...
Every child has either been to the zoo or dreamed about going there. Kids love animals, and those animals are a great learning opportunity for young people. As teachers we love to take our classes ...
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![Z: Creating a Paper Zoo in Your Classroom [Teacher Tips from A to Z]](https://busyteacher.org/uploads/posts/2011-08/1314244247_esl-zoo.png)
